So when it came down to it I chickened out of planting everything this weekend. Instead the boxes that will get completely re-done have been left to do their own thing – which is mainly to do nothing with the supposedly dwarf tulips, which ended up growing to about 12 inches, still looking lush and healthy. The won’t even die back despite my neglect. The others got a quick tidy up which consisted of deadheading the pansies.

After looking at the weather forecast it looked like it’s going to be a colder and wetter week and I just didn’t think that was a good way to start the still-tender seedlings off. As much as I think the garden centre plants have been pushed along, and are therefore a couple of weeks further on than my seedlings, the brachycome, verbena and sweet pea still look very weak. I just didn’t have the confidence that planting them today would give them the best chance of survival. (more…)

I seem to have found myself between seasons at the moment. The tulips and crocuses were a welcome blast of spring colour after the dark nights of winter but all too soon they have fizzled out. The pansies and anemone are doing their best to keep things colourful and there’s plenty of foliage to make it colourful.

The seedlings from the indoor nursery are coming along nicely but it’s still a bit early to plant them out. Instead they’re getting a bit of hardening up by sitting on a sunny (sometimes) and bright window ledge in front of a slightly open window. The hope is that a storm doesn’t blow in while I’m away and ruin all that, well… all that waiting really. Sow, water, wait and worry – there really isn’t much more to seeds than that, is there?

This was a picture I took last weekend when the weather had turned mild and thoughts of spring started to seem relevant.

The geraniums on the left have really done nicely so far with eight of the ten coming through although I’m positive one has managed to grow upside down (bottom left if you can make it out). Really, I’m sure I’m not making this up but will try to get a proper photo to prove it!

As for the others, the verbena has had two seeds come through then drop back. The marigold has a couple of seedlings doing ok but maybe they’re a bit stringy. A couple of others seemed to come then stopped. (more…)

One week in and the first seedlings have poked their heads above the soil. The Geraniums were first to start and a couple of French Marigolds and Verbena have followed.

They were sown in a one inch square plastic seed tray and there are 45 ‘pots’ in the tray. There might be better fitting trays on the market as I cut a few pots off to make sure it fit the propagator better. (more…)

Whenever I post a photo like this I expect someone to comment on what I’m doing wrong. In fact given that I really don’t know what I’m doing and I would happily take some good advice. I still get to judge what is good and what isn’t though!

After planting late last year I thought I would really get ahead of myself this year by attempting to grow a few plants from seed. In typical fashion I have likely over-reached my ability and have multiple packets of seeds ready to go. (more…)

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The Cast

Six window boxes, each with their own unique personality.
Chris: The philosophical loner with a rough edge - currently a mix of orange winter pansies, lobelia left over from summer and a dianthus that isn't sure what it's doing. Spring bulbs are a mystery.
Shelly: Perky and down-to-earth. Currently displaying a fertile group of purple mini cyclamen.
Holling: The hard worker - got all the leftovers during summer but is now just showing a mix of red and purple mini cyclamen.
Ed: Part mystic, part sage, part healer - a mix of winter pansy, lobelia and dianthus, much like Chris but scrappier.
Maggie: Queen of the confused - The one lobelia that really grew, a constantly flowering pink mini cyclamen, a hardy variegated ivy, a white and a yellow pansy and some pathetic looking winter pansies which probably won't make it to Xmas.
Joel: Ever the show-off and yet just as confused as Maggie - white viola, purple pansy, red mini cyclamen and orange winter pansy.